Dog named Woolf provides calming effect for kids testifying in court

Sitting two rows back in the courtroom, an astute visitor during the recent testimony of an abused little boy might have caught sight of the tips of two furry, white ears poking over the top railing of the witness box.

And maybe once in a while that little boy's hand may have snaked down to stroke the big head between those two ears belonging to Woolf, a silent, watchful fellow there to help the 6-year-old get through the recitation of the sex acts to which he was subjected.

Woolf, a large, all-white shepherd-husky mix with startling blue eyes, is a familiar sight in a number of Lake County schools. He goes to classrooms with Missy Ziler as part of the READing Paws program, short for "Reading Education Assistance Dogs."

Woolf doesn't read aloud. (Wouldn't it be cool if he could?) Rather, he lays majestically on his blanket and listens attentively to "his" kids read, looking down his snout from behind wire-rimmed glasses. Occasionally, he applies a cold-nose nudge or a cheek slurp as encouragement.

He is all silence and rapt attention.

His reputation for quiet support is what prompted a Lake prosecutor to ask Missy whether Woolf might help in the case where two boys, ages 6 and 7, were to testify against their father.

The younger child ended up testifying with Woolf from an empty courtroom by Skype and the older one had the dog at his feet while he told his story.

"As the older boy was walking out, he looked up and said, 'I did a good job, didn't I? I didn't even need to pet Woolf,'" Missy said.

"I said, 'He was there for you, but you were strong by yourself.' This kid knew Woolf was there for him. I thought, 'Wow! He really gets it.' "

That was the point where she decided to create Companions for Courage, a nonprofit organization designed to prevent children from having to face the anxiety of court testimony alone.

She put together a board of directors, applied for nonprofit status and has friends working on pamphlets and a website for the group. Missy said nobody involved will be paid. Contributions will go to producing and printing Companions for Courage coloring books and buying crayons for kids to use while they are waiting their turn to testify.

At the moment, Missy is looking for other dogs that might help Woolf with the chores. They would have to be very quiet, willing to lay still in a witness box and not cause any distraction in court. No dogs on laps.

"And we can't have one start howling in the middle of testimony," she observed.

Uh, no. That probably would be frowned upon.

Lake Circuit Judge Bill Law, who allowed Woolf to help in the abuse case, said he has seen dogs in the courtroom a few times and is willing to allow them access in the future.

"It's a bit of new thinking," Law said. "Obviously, the dog can't tell somebody how to testify and doesn't have an effect on truthfulness, but it has a calming effect."

Prosecutor Beth Crumpler, who handled the trial in which Woolf participated, said the Legislature last year passed a law allowing registered therapy dogs to help children under 16 and those with mental disabilities testify.

She had that law in the back of her mind when the case of the two young boys arose.

"I do think it helped them," she said. "Courage is a wonderful thing to give a child when they're doing the hardest thing that they'll ever do in their young life.

"I wish he could sit beside me in trial."

Indeed. The State Attorney's Office is considering Woolf for at least two more cases involving girls ages 7 and 11.

Still, there are downsides to having a fuzzy, white friend in the courtroom.